Piano chord player



June 4, 1935.

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D. MCF. MOQRE PIANO CHORD PLAYER Filed April 5, 1934 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR D MCF". MOORE Jun@ M351 PIANO CHORD PLAYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1954 zmveNroR Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO iCHORD PLAYER Daniel McFarlan Moore, East Orange, N. J.

Application April 5, 1934, Serial No. 719,184

1 Claim.

(Cl. SLI-443) extends from the piano key E up to and including E t. Obviously, the pianochord can be moved to any of the octaves that are above or below. This is facilitated by the placing of the letter C, which able accompaniment can be played for mest songs and hymns by the use of less than a half dezen chords. Therefore, by selecting for one simple form of my pianochord the four (4) chords most used in compositions, like songs and hymns, very acceptable ccompaniments can be played for most of them by simply pressing, in proper sequence, one (l) chordbar at a time, and thus obviate the necessity of the some what formidable task of training the fingers. The striking of a dischord becomes almost an impossibility if one (1) chcrdbar is used at a time.

Instead of picking out a tune with one finger that strikes one;y piano key at a time, the one finger with my pianochord can pick out a tune by striking a chord of three or more piano keys at a time instead of one pia-no key at a time.

A typical attempt to mechanically play the designates the key C of the keyboard, as shown, on the side ofthe pianochord in Figure 3.

It has four (4) chordbars, each producing one complete chord by its singlegdownward movement due to the pressure oi one or more fingers. Ac-

companiments suitable for an indeiinite number of tunes can by properly using these four fundamental musical chords. However, any singleV piano chord instrument containing a selected group ofl chords of a definite key and designed for a specic location on the keyboard can not always produce a satisfactory accompaniment for all tunes. Musical science indi- Y cates that there are thirty-six (36) chords, that piano is exemplified in the well known and. formerly widely used pianola, which is a large and very expensive instrument involving among its many parts foot treadles for producing pneumatic pressures and also a perforated paper roll for each tune.

The principal object of my invention is to provide the simplest possible method and device for obtaining desired harmonies from a piano.

My invention will best be understood in connection with the following drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a simple form of the pianochord in place on a piano keyboard.

Figure 2 is a plan View of a simple form of pianochord.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the pianochord shown in plan in Figure 2.

-in three positions. Elementally,

vbest suit the progressing tune.

Figure 'i is anend elevation of the pianochord `shown in Figure 5.

can, if desired, be applied to the pianochord, namely; twelve major triads, twelve minor triads, and twelve major triade with the addition of the seventh. Maximum usefulness, however, to the public will probably be obtained by the selection for a pianochord of the half dozen or so chords which can be made to produce the most acceptable accompaniments for the largest num` bers of hymns and songs. The manufacturing cost in quantities of a simple pianochord is only a matter of cents.

Fundamentally, there are seven (7) chords possible for each musical key of which there are seventeen (17) to the octave. Also, each chord of three piano keys can be played or arranged to play the pienochord successfully consists in anticipating which chord, that is available, will momentarily Any individual endowed with a natural musical ability to think or hum or sing or whistle a specific tune can play an accompaniment on the pianochord. Also, anyone even without musical ability can pro-v duce harmonies and melodies by 'simply pressing down the pianochord bars. A chordbar can be depressed with only one linger or with eight, if desired. The technique of pianochord playing has many niceties and variations.

These four wooden chordbars are held in their proper places by a wooden rectangular frame one inch high and which is numbered 5 on Figures Y 2, 3, and 4. Its sides rest on the opposite ends of g Figure k9 is an elevation o f the chordbar shown in Figure 8.

The gamut of the pianochordshown in Figure 1 all of the black keys beneaththem. In Figure 2 the four bars are numbered l, 2, 3, and 4. The overalllengthY of this frame is 81st` inches.V Its width is 2% inches.A -Each chordbar is 8%, inches long, l/zginch wide/and ,5/8 inches high. These four chordbars fit loosely within the frame. They cannot fall out of the frame when the pianochord is removed from the piano because of the small cross battons marked 6 and Bf, prime, and l and l', prime, in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

O C) O O C) G O O O O O O O The battons l and 1, prime, are located loosely between the sides of the unused black keys Ct and Fit and prevent lateral movement of the frame. The inner ends of l' and l, prime, touch the Vertical portion of the piano which is at the end of all of the keys, and thus deiiniteness and stability is obtained 'for the pianochord. The

Vchordbars have a maximum up and down movement of about f-, of an inch and .from the bottom side of each extend 3 or e striking teeth on theV keys inches long, and for the black inches. VTheir size,V material, Aor construction, can be and is the super tonic seventh greatly varied.

The chordbar marked l in Figure 2 shows that it has 3 teeth, and depresses the piano keys G, Bb and'Eb, and is the sub-dominant chord of Eb.

' The chordbar marked 2 plays, F, Bb and D, and is the tonic seventh chord of Bb.

The chordbar marked 3 plays the keys F, A, C, and is the dominant chord of F' seventh.

' The chordbar marked t plays G, Bb and C, chord of C seventh;

To Yaid in proving the usefulness of my in vention I have produced a useful accompaniment with the assistance of the model of pianochord I have just described, for about four score each of well known popular and sacredl tunes. Most of them only required the useof three chordbars and some only two. Players who are naturally musical soon learn to know when to manipu- Vlate each of these four chordbars,` somewhat similar to the technique acquired by a typist or pianist. A trained pianist naturally attempts to play all of the chardbars, one at a time, with the most convenient finger of the right hand, or, play a melody or air on the piano keys above the pianochord with the right hand and with the left hand play the pianochord in unison. However, for the benefit of pianochord beginners, and

those not naturally musical, I have evolved a Very simple method of assisting them by writing down which bar to use next, as a tune they know,

progresses. Y

For example, the so' called music for the pianochord for-Jesus, Lover of My Soul, can be writ-V ten as follows:-

written music should include a record of tone 'andand time, so that if it is carefully followed the interpretation will be uniform. For example, a modified form of my pianochord music incorporates the element of time and Jesus, Lover of My Soul I write as follows:

122321232 @QOGGOO OOO e0@ Y The figures (or numerals) indicate the individual members of the chordbars, and show which. one should next be pressed and released. For eachcircle beneath a chordbar number, the chordbar should be pressed once. YThe larger the circle, the longer the interval of time before a chordbar is released. R means repeat.

For the practical application of this system of music to most popular tunes when their accompanirnent is produced by the use of a pianochord, four sizes of .circles are usually sincient. For example- 0 can correspond to a whole note. Q can correspond to a half note.

O can correspond to a quarter note. O can correspond to an eighth note.

(6) chordbars for a full accompaniment. l have provided for such instances by the additionV of two more chordbars to the four (li) alreadydescribed, namely: y

The wooden teeth numbered 3 in Figures 2, 3,

and 4, are simply glued to the bottom of the chord-v bars, but each chordbar with its teeth could be made out of one piece of wood or other material.

Another modification is painting the bars different colors. For example, blue, green, yellow,

and red, and thus assist one to become adept inv playing the pianochord which is primarily an instrument for playing accompaniments to a tune or air known to the operator of the pianochord.

A great many further modifications or variations in the mechanical construction of my piano;A

chord is possible without departing from my invention. Accompaniments to rnany tunes can be played on only two chordbars of three notes each, and then the pianochords overall width need be only 1% inches, and its length 61/2 inches.V

Or if three chordbars are used, its width may be only 2 inches. Accompaniments for some two bar tunes can be played in a still more simple manner by duplicating some ofthe bars. 'Ihat is,` such a toy pianochord may have 5 chordbars to be used progressively. Extremely'simple directions forsuoh a tune might be, strike the rst bar twice, the second bar four times, the third bar three times, the fourth bar four times, and the fifth 'bar once, and repeat.

Another modification would be to construct a toy piano the keyboard of which would be supplanted by a pianochord that can be designed to act directly on the sound sources, or attached to or removable from the key board.

Figure discloses a further number of modincations, such as, means for using more bars and thus making a fuller accompaniment possible, yet limiting the total width of the pianochord frame to the length of the black piano keys. Also, if the pianochord is lengthened, it can embrace bass notes as well as treble. To avoid the pianochord becoming cumbersome, the octave lower bass note need not be included. Ten chordbars are shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8. Since each is only 1A inch wide, which is less than the thickness of a forefinger, I have improvised a striking key I I, somewhat similar to those used on a typewriter for each bar, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and Figure 5 shows their relative longitudinal positions on the chordbars as staggered, so that they do not interfere with each other. The striking teeth are shown as dowel pins 1A; inch in diameter.

Figures 5 and 6 show the striking pins of only one chordbar which is marked I0.

Another solution for the narrow bar problem is to attach to the topv of each chordbar an additional very short bar, which is (transversely of the pianochord) out of line with those of the other chordbars. In Figures 8 and 9, a portion of the chordbar IIJ of Figures 5, 6, and |'1, is shown but instead of a key or button like I I in Figures 5, 6, and 7, it is equipped with the short bar I2, Figures 8 and 9, which can be depressed with either a fore-finger or two fore-fingers or other fingers. When only one finger is used the countersink hole I3 assists.

When the pianochord is of the length shown in Figure 5, I add bass notes and the thus enlarged siX 5) chords I have already disclosed are:

Et G Bb E Sub Dominant-Eb.

Bb F Bt D -Tonic Seventh-Bb.

F F A C Dominant Seventh- F "7th, C E G Bb CSuper Tonic Seventh-C 7th. G G Bb D Relative Minor-G Minor. D Gb A D -Mediant-D.

I have already successfully used these specic chords by applying them to hundreds of tunes and have also used many other chords that have included the sub-mediant.

I have chosen the average pitch of this instrument to 7cest lend itself to accompany group singing when the C on the side of the pianochord is placed over middle C of a standard keyboard. A very large number of chords and different chord combinations are possible, and may be chosen to best serve different compositions that may range from classical to jazz.

Although I refer to the construction of a toy piano, above, I fully realize that the pianochord principle can be incorporated into the special construction and design of all kinds and sizes of pianos, so that pianochord player-pianos can fill a field of usefulness `ust as various types of player-pianos, like the Ampico, that usually involve music rolls and other apparatus, now do. For example, a piano can be initially equipped also with a row of about a half a dozen conveniently located keys or buttons, each of which when depressed by the hand sounds a useful chord. There are an unlimited number of mechanical variations possible for the connection between these typewriter' like buttons and the sound producing wires of the piano or other stringed instrument. It is also obvious that the pianochord shown in Figure 2 could be played by the proper manipulation of four (4) buttons or keys in a row, like the piano keys are in a row instead of pressing on the top of either chordbar marked I, 2, 3, or 4.

It is also evident that with the particular type of mechanical construction I have disclosed herewith, it would be best to press bar marked I directly over its middle note, although such mechanical nice'ty is not an essential. However, if arranged in a row, the first button should depress the bar marked I, the second, bar marked 3, the third, the bar marked 4, and the fourth, the bar marked 2, and suitable mechanical construction adopted 'to connect each key to it bar.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A keyboard player comprising a rectangular framework, having vertical sides and channel shaped ends, the channels of which are inwardly disposed, a plurality of rectangular chordbars, each having on its bottom side projections corresponding with selected keys of a keyboard, said chlordbars being loosely disposed side by side, inside said frame with their sides directly in contact with one another, and their ends in loose contact with the channel shaped ends of said framework, whereby the ends of the chordbars are limited in their vertical movements, and collectively the width of said chordbars being only slightly less than the distance between the sides of said framework, whereby side diplacement of aid 'oars is prevented solely by said bars and the sides of said framework.

DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE 

